Upper Body Workout

I'm going to give you several different upper body workout options PLUS additional information on working your upper body for building muscle and strength.

The first question you should ask yourself is why are you looking for an upper body only workout routine — if you are.

You should not neglect your lower body at all. Running, jogging, or other forms of cardiovascular exercise do not count as weight training for your legs.

If you lift weights for your upper body and don't do the same for your lower body, your lower body will lag behind and you will encounter many issues moving forward in your life. You want to stay healthy and mobile throughout your entire body.

You should ALWAYS work on building a balanced body.

Your lower body needs to be strong and powerful just as your upper body will be. With that said, let's move onto the upper body workout.

Upper Body Workout Schedule

I personally like to mix the upper body and lower body into the same workout as full body workouts are my favorite style of weight lifting workouts. For example, I might do squats, bench press, and pull ups in the same workout. These 3 weight lifting exercises alone work the entire body very well including the upper body.

But you're here looking for an upper body workout only, so I also have some of my favorite options for working the upper body without any lower body work. The lower body will be worked in a different workout.

So, a good upper body workout schedule might look like this…

Day 1 – Lower Body (Quads, Hamstrings, Calves)
Day 2 – Rest Day
Day 3 – Upper Body (Chest, Shoulders, Triceps)
Day 4 – Rest Day
Day 5 – Upper Body (Back, Biceps)
Day 6 – Rest Day
Day 7 – Rest Day
Repeat

This is a good upper body workout schedule because you workout 3 days per week and allow plenty rest and recovery time with 4 rest days per week.

You can find this exact weight lifting schedule and workout plan in the WLC Level 3.1 Weight Lifting Workout.

Another good upper body weight lifting schedule:

Day 1 – Upper Body (Chest, Shoulders, Triceps, Back, Biceps)
Day 2 – Rest Day
Day 3 – Lower Body (Quads, Hamstrings, Calves)
Day 4 – Rest Day
Day 5 – Upper Body (Chest, Shoulders, Triceps, Back, Biceps)
Day 6 – Rest Day
Day 7 – Rest Day
Repeat

With the above workout plan, you work the lower body once per week and the upper body twice per week. Again, this schedule allows plenty of recovery time with 4 full days of rest from weight lifting.

In some of the workout plans I have designed (especially the level 3 programs in the WLC Workouts Manual), you will find a workout schedule like this:

Day 1 – Upper Body, Bench Press Day
Day 2 – Rest Day
Day 3 – Lower Body, Squat Day
Day 4 – Rest Day
Day 5 – Upper Body, Assistance Exercise Day
Day 6 – Rest Day
Day 7 – Rest Day
Repeat

The above upper body workout schedules are only a few available within the WLC Workouts Manual. As another example, here's an upper / lower alternating workout schedule:

Day 1 – Lower Body (Quads, Hamstrings, Calves)
Day 2 – Rest Day
Day 3 – Upper Body (Chest, Shoulders)
Day 4 – Rest Day
Day 5 – Upper Body (Back, Forearms)
Day 6 – Rest Day
Day 7 – Upper Body (Biceps, Triceps)
Repeat

If you really want or need to focus on building the upper body, the above schedule is amazing because it adds a 4th workout to the week and gives you another muscle building opportunity each week.

And I'll give you one more example before we move onto the major muscle groups of the upper body. This particular upper body workout schedule is one of my favorites because the workouts are short and sweet PLUS I get to workout more often.

Day 1 – Lower Body (Quads, Hamstrings)
Day 2 – Upper Body (Chest, Forearms)
Day 3 – Upper Body (Back)
Day 4 – Upper Body (Shoulders, Calves)
Day 5 – Upper Body (Biceps, Triceps)
Day 6 – Rest Day
Day 7 – Rest Day
Repeat

With the above workout schedule, you are in the gym 5 days per week with 2 days of rest at the end of the week. This upper body schedule is fun and works well. Again, I recommend full body workouts for most people BUT a change in your workout schedule and style is always a good thing!

Major Muscle Groups in the Upper Body

If you're interested in upper body workouts, you're probably interested in which muscle groups are being worked. It's important to know each and also to know which muscle groups are being worked with each type of weight lifting exercise.

There are 11 major muscle groups in your entire body:

1. Quadriceps
2. Hamstrings
3. Calves
4. Chest
5. Back
6. Shoulders
7. Triceps
8. Biceps
9. Forearms
10. Trapezius
11. Abdominals

The major muscle groups of the upper body are shown here:

1. Chest
2. Back
3. Shoulders
4. Triceps
5. Biceps
6. Forearms
7. Trapezius
8. Abdominals

So 8 of the 11 major muscle groups are in your upper body. Let's talk a little about each one of the major muscle groups in the upper body.

Chest – One of the favorite muscle groups for both men and women. The chest is a very important muscle groups that helps protect the vital organs in your upper body like the heart and the lungs. The bench press exercise is a favorite for working the chest BUT the push-up is my personal favorite.

Back – The back is a HUGE muscle group that is very, very important. Many people have lower back problems throughout life because they never strengthened their back properly. The deadlift is an amazing back exercise along with pull ups and chin ups. Rows are also another very important back exercise.

Shoulders – The shoulders can make your waist appear smaller making wider shoulders one of your top priorities. The overhead press is the king of shoulder exercises, but side laterals and upright rows can really add width to your shoulders. Rows will even add depth to your shoulders by building the rear deltoids for you.

Triceps – The triceps make up approximately 2/3 of your upper arms. Most people who want bigger arms focus on the biceps and that does help, BUT focus on the triceps increases arm size even faster. Dips are the absolute best exercise for the triceps. Close grip bench press and reverse grip bench press are also great options.

Biceps – This is another favorite muscle group for both men and women. Nice arms can be seen especially in the warmer climates and summer months. Everyone enjoys looking at a great set of arms. Pull ups and chin ups are the best overall exercise for the arms BUT curls of all types really help you focus in on the biceps.

Forearms – Whenever you hold heavy weights, the forearms are being worked. But, if you need extra work on the forearms the pinwheel curl is my favorite. You'll find pinwheel curls throughout the weight lifting workouts on this site.

Trapezius – The trapezius is also called the trap muscle and is the HUGE triangle shaped muscle that starts in the mid back and comes up around your neck. The traps are worked very well with all types of deadlifts. Most of the time, people do not need extra exercises to work the traps. If yours are lagging behind, the power shrug is a great choice.

Abdominals – The abs are a VERY important muscle group and some people might think I neglect the abs in my workout plans because you don't see any specific ab exercises in most of the weight lifting workouts you'll find here. But I don't. The big compound exercises like squats, deadlifts, push ups, dips, rows, pull ups, and overhead press are the focus of workouts here. All of those exercises work the abs very well so extra exercises aren't needed.

Each and every major muscle group in the upper body is very important in getting the upper body that you want. Each workout you'll find here at WLC places an emphasis on building a balanced upper body.

If you need special help with developing any muscle group in the upper body since it's lagging behind, please let me know as this is one of my specialties.

Best Weight Lifting Exercises for the Upper Body

I wanted to devote a section here on this page to listing out the best weight lifting exercises for each major muscle group. I am going to include an exercise video for each of the weight lifting exercises as well.

1. Chest

The best chest exercises are the push up and bench press. The dip is also an amazing exercise for the chest and you'll find that exercise in the triceps section below.

Push Up Exercise Video

Bench Press Exercise Video

2. Back

The best back exercises are deadlifts, rows, and pull ups. The back is a huge muscle group so all 3 of these exercises are needed to build a strong back.

Deadlift Exercise Video

Row Exercise Video

Pull Up Exercise Video

3. Shoulders

The shoulders are worked very well with just a single exercise. The overhead press is one of the best upper body exercises and should be included in every upper body workout plan.

Overhead Press Exercise Video

4. Triceps

The triceps are best worked with the dip. You'll need dip stands and maybe resistance bands if you have trouble doing dips. Once you are stronger, you'll need a weight belt to add weight.

Dips Exercise Video

Reverse Grip Bench Press Exercise Video

5. Biceps

The best overall exercise for the biceps is close grip chin ups BUT curls are also great.

Close Grip Chin Ups Exercise Video

Alternate Dumbbell Curls Exercise Video

Do me a favor, though, and ignore some of his advice on swinging the weights. You can use some body english to lift the weight and it does do something for you!

6. Forearms

The forearms are worked very well with pinwheel curls. Many people do not know how to do pinwheel curls. This exercise video will help with your upper body workout. Watch the below video for pinwheel curls. You must use dumbbells for pinwheel curls.

Pinwheel Curls Exercise Video

7. Trapezius

Again, deadlifts are the best trap exercise BUT power shrugs can be used if your traps are lagging behind.

Power Shrugs Exercise Video

8. Abdominals

The abdominals are worked very well with all the exercises shown above. I'm not including an ab exercise video because you really shouldn't need any additional exercises.

Upper Body Workout Routines

I'm now going to share some of the upper body workouts from the WLC Workouts Manual. You'll also see lower body exercises because I believe in working the entire body.

Remember, you MUST have a good plan of progression with these workouts. One single workout doesn't lead to great results. It's all about putting multiple workouts together and getting stronger over time. Strength gains lead to muscle gains.

Upper Body Workout Option #1

Workout A – Day 1
Quads/Hamstrings/Calves
1. Barbell Squat, 5×5
2. Glute/Ham Raise, 5×5
3. Standing Calf Raise, 5×5

Rest – Day 2

Workout B – Day 3
Chest/Shoulders/Triceps
1. Flat Barbell Bench, 5×5
2. Barbell OverheBd Press, 5×5
3. Parallel Dips, 5×5

Rest – Day 4

Workout C – Day 5
Back Depth/Back Width/Biceps
1. Trap Bar Deadlift, 5×5
2. Wide Grip Chin Up, 5×5
3. Barbell Curls, 5×5

Rest – Day 6
Rest – Day 7

REPEAT Until Progress Stops

Plan of Progression: Increase weight by 10% each workout until you get to your current rep maxes. In the third week, you will be doing your current rep maxes. In week 4, increase by 2.5% over your current rep maxes and continue increasing by 2.5% each week as possible. Use your experience to help you out on whether or not you should increase the weight for the following week. If you get all reps and sets at a given weight with good form and technique, definitely increase the weight the next workout.

Upper Body Workout Option #2

Weeks 1 through 4

Workout A (ramped) – Day 1
Upper Body
1. Flat Barbell Bench, 5×5
2. Three Board Bench Press, 3×3
3. Chin Up, 3×5
4. Triceps Pushdown, 3×8
5. Lateral Raise, 5×8

Rest – Day 2

Workout B (ramped) – Day 3
Lower Body
1. Squat, 5×5
2. Trap Bar Deadlift, 3×5

Rest – Day 4

Workout C (constant) – Day 5
Upper Body
1. Flat Barbell Bench, 5×5
2. Pendlay Rows, 5×5
3. Dips, 3×8

Rest – Day 6
Rest – Day 7

Weeks 5 through the end

Workout A (ramped) – Day 1
Upper Body
1. Flat Barbell Bench, 3×3
2. Three Board Bench Press, 2×3
3. Chin Up, 2×5
4. Triceps Pushdown, 2×8
5. Lateral Raise, 3×8

Rest – Day 2

Workout B (ramped) – Day 3
Lower Body
1. Squat, 3×3
2. Trap Bar Deadlift, 3×3

Rest – Day 4

Workout C (constant) – Day 5
Upper Body
1. Flat Barbell Bench, 3×3
2. Pendlay Rows, 3×3
3. Dips, 2×8

Day 6 – Rest
Day 7 – Rest

Plan of Progression: Week 1 will use 80% of your current rep maxes. Week 2 will use 90% of your current rep maxes. Week 3 will use your current rep maxes. Week 4 will be 2.5% or more above your current rep maxes. If you feel good and feel like you can increase more than 2.5%, do so. Week 5 will repeat the same weights from Week 4. Week 6 and on will increase weights by 2.5% each week.

Other Upper Body Workout Options

There are tons and tons of upper body workout options within the WLC Workouts Manual. Here's one more upper body workout option for you.

Workout A – Day 1
Quads, Hamstrings
1. Barbell Squats, 3×6-12
2. Barbell Lunges, 3×6-12
3. Hip Belt Squats, 3×6-12
4. Pull Thru, 3×6-12
5. Glute/Ham Raise, 3×6-12

Workout B – Day 2
Chest, Forearms
1. Flat BB Bench, 3×6-12
2. Incline DB Bench, 3×6-12
3. Flat DB Flyes, 3×6-12
4. Pinwheel Curls, 3×6-12
5. Reverse BB Curls, 3×6-12

Workout C – Day 3
Back
1. Trap Bar Deadlift, 3×6-12
2. 1-Arm Rows, 3×6-12
3. Chin Ups, 3×6-12
4. Face Pulls, 3×6-12

Workout D – Day 4
Shoulders, Calves
1. Overhead BB Press, 3×6-12
2. 1-Arm Overhead Press, 3×6-12
3. Standing Calf Raise, 3×6-12
4. Seated Calf Raise, 3×6-12
5. Reverse Calf Raise, 3×6-12

Workout E – Day 5
Biceps, Triceps
1. Alt DB Curls, 3×6-12
2. Barbell Curls, 3×6-12
3. Dips, 3×6-12
4. Reverse Grip Bench, 3×6-12
5. Triceps Pushdown, 3×6-12

REPEAT Until Progress Stops

Plan of Progression: Increase weight by 2.5% once you reach the top end of a rep range on any set of that exercise. For example, if you get 11 or 12 reps on an exercise for one of the sets, increase the weight by 2.5% for the next workout. If you exceed the rep range, definitely increase the weight for the next workout. It’s fine to exceed the rep range. That’s actually a good sign that you are making great progress.

Hope you enjoyed this post on upper body workouts. If you have any questions or need any help, let me know in the comments section.

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